What is National Thowheeth Jamaath?

BACKGROUND

The organization had been associated with hate speech and defacement of icons of Buddhism, Sri Lanka’s predominant religion.

LEADER

A group of young men arrested in a vandalism case were said to have been students of an Islamic teacher, Mohammed Zahran. Three years ago, national security officials were warned that Zahran was preaching violence to young Muslims, including calls to kill non-Muslims.

CULPABILITY

Many Sri Lankans are skeptical of the government’s claim that the group — which has little in its history to suggest it would attack Christians — was behind the bombings.